Desk attachment for railway-car seats



(No Model.)

J. L. YATES. DESK ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY GAR SEATS.

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NITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JOHN L. YATES, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

DESK ATTACHMENT FOR RAILWAY-CAR SEATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,830, dated October 15,1895. Application filed February '7, 1895- Serlal No. 537,624. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls, I-Ierkimer county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk Attachments for Railway-Oar Seats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to furnish a collapsible desk attachment provided with a flexible top covering, which, with the supporting-frame, may be readily folded into a small compass to facilitate transportation. The attachment constitutes a new article of manufacture, the parts of which are so arranged that it may be quickly unfolded and adjusted to a car-seat, and then makes a convenient writing desk or shelf for railwa travelers.

The invention will be understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the upper side of the desk or attachment expanded in readiness for use and hung upon the back of a car-seat, the upper part of which is also indicated in the drawings. Fig. 2 is a perspective view taken from the lower side of the device expanded, but detached from the car-seat. Fig. 3 is a perspective View taken from the lower side, like Fig. 2, with the device in a partly-folded condition.

The construction belongs to that class in which the desk-top is hinged to back-stay bars, which latter are provided with hooks to engage the top of the car-seat, the desk-top itself having a frame which is provided with transverse brace-bars hinged in such manner as'to permit the folding of the device in a small compass. The top frame is rectangular and the transverse brace-bars are attached close to its ends. The desk-top 1 is made of some flexible material, as rubber-faced cloth or oil-cloth, or may be made of light wooden strips secured to a flexible fabric, so as to be rolled with entire facility. This top 1 is fastened, as represented in the drawings, by the aid of clamping-strips 2 to the opposite side bars 3 3 of the top frame. These side bars are jointed by hinges 4: 4 to the outer ends of pairs of brace-bars 5 5, the inner ends of each pair of which are coupled together by hinge 6. These two two-part bars 5 5 form braces, which may be folded inward on the hinges 4 6, as hereinafter explained.

The back-stay bars 8 8 are provided at their upper ends with hinges 7, by which they are jointed to the inner ends of the top framebars 3 3, and an inclined brace 10 is pivoted upon each of the stay-bars to sustain the top when in use. The lower end of each brace is pivoted to the stay-bar 8 at a point 9 below the hinge 7, and the other end of the brace is provided with a slot 11, forming a hook adapted to engage the shank of .a headed stud or screw 12, which is fastened in the outer side of the adjacent bar 3. The upper end of each stay-bar is provided with a hook 14, adapted to support the attachment upon the back of a car-seat, which in Fig. 1 is desig nated 13.

The device is fitted for transportation by unhooking the inclined braces 10 from the studs 12 and turning them downwardly upon the sides of the stay-bars 8 and then folding the stay-bars upon the under side of the frame-bars 3, as is shown in Fig. 3. The top frame is then collapsed, so as to bring the side bars and stay-bars in proximity with one another by pressing inwardly the transverse braces 5 5, which, being jointed at the middle by the hinges 6 and attached by the hinges 7 to the inner side of the frame-bars, are adapted to pack closely between the same when wholly bent, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The flexible top permits the approximation of the side bars 3 when thus collapsed and may be folded around the same, as is partially indicated in Fig. 3.

Vhen required for use, the top frame is distended by drawing apart the side bars 3. The transverse braces 5 are then straightened to act as toggles to stretch the flexible top 1 flatand tightly over and across said frame. The back-stays 8 are then unfolded on their hinges 7 and the slots 11 of the pivoted braces 10 are engaged with the top frame-studs 12, thus securing the device in the braced condition shown in Fig.2 of the drawings. The hook-clamps 4 are then adapted to slip over the top of the canseat back, as shownjn Fig. 1, which wholly adjusts the device for use.

When desired, the device may be collapsed and repacked in the manner already described and then occupies but a small amount of space.

I am aware that it is common to construct a desk with a top having hinged stay-bars and braces, and I do not, therefore, claim such a combination as my own invention; but,

Having set forth the constructive features of my new article of manufacture, I claim the same, as follows:

As a new article of manufacture, the desk attachment comprising the rigid bars 3, 3, with the flexible top 1 fastened thereto and having the studs 12 upon their outer sides, 

